[FlyingSpur]

Hey guys,

Because of the RFT's I sort of need the following things, which I have the option of sourcing from USA as a relative will be back next month. Need your help regarding where to source from and which brands / products are worth purchasing. Online links would also be helpful, as would reviews and recommendations.

If good quality examples are recommended and available in Mumbai as well, please guide as to where I can go to purchase.

1. Tyre inflator (the type that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket).

2. Tubeless tyre repair kit.

3. "BMW Mobility Kit" ...now this is an optional extra I didn't bother with at the time of delivery, however I am curious to know the utility of this kit and whether it is worth buying. And if yes, then whether it will be cheaper to buy original mobility kit from USA.

4. Type pressure gauge (digital / analogue whichever is better).

Need to know soon, appreciate your help guys !!

Edit : Found this... what do you think?

Motocare - The Online Car Accessories Superstore

[monty9991]

if you relative is comming from canada the canadian tire is a good store to look for Home | Canadian Tire

[aah78]

I think with the cost of international shipping and any added duties, you'll be better off purchasing your accessories locally but the following stores are good places to source your accessories - and I know they ship internationally.

• AutohausAZ
• Bavarian Autosport
• ECS Tuning

Other options:
getBMWparts.com operated by Tischer BMW.
Morristown BMW & BMW of Bloomfield also operate eBay stores.

These stores usually have the lowest prices (that I know of) for BMW Accessories or parts.

The only problem with these three is that they're BMW dealerships and now BMW corporate has forbidden BMW USA dealerships from shipping parts out of the U.S, and also laid restrictions on importing certain parts from Europe.
So your only way is to have someone in USA buy the accessories / parts for you and ship them over independently.

For the accessories you have mentioned, you'll always find cheaper equivalents made by other brands. Your number 3 is basically made up of numbers 1, 2 & 4.

A car-battery powered (cigarette lighter) powered inflater is nice to have in case of emergencies but it's much slower than an electric powered one.

As far as I know, digital pressure gauges are slightly more accurate than analogue ones - don't skimp on these and look for reviews before buying one as inaccurate gauges are widely available too.

With your RFT's, you don't really need a tyre repair kit (a can of goop, which seals the leak) or a Mobility Kit but they're nice to have for a little peace of mind.

Last year I drove around a 1000 miles on an RFT with a slow leak - turned out there was a 4" nail stuck in it.

[FlyingSpur]

@ Advait - As I said, a relative will be flying back next month. International shipping is not really required.

Thanks for a detailed reply. I've read on several places that for RFT's I need not bother with these things, but the problem as far as we are concerned is that the car travels a lot within the Mumbai - Nasik - Pune triangle, and you might be aware of how little the support available is, incase of puncture. And yes, I know I can drive on RFT's with a puncture for 300 km but if I do so isn't it true that I will have to replace the tyre with a new one? THAT is what I'm trying to avoid here, given that every tyre costs some 15-20k. Also, I'm not planning on sticking with these RFT's once they wear out so having to purchase a new one mid-life will be an unnecessary expense.

I've found a Mobility kit on getBMWparts which is for around $150... seems like an awful lot for what is basically just sealant and a compressor. How does this sealant thing work? I'm clueless about it. Any pointers?

[aah78]

Yes, you're right about the unnecessary expense on having to replace the run-flat.
What I've found here is that there are very few independent places who venture into repairing the run-flat tyre, most of them want you to replace it - more business for them and less labour.

Good thing to switch over to regular tyres once your RFT's wear out. You can probably switch over to bigger wheels, and have it easier on your back too. Also maybe shove in a compact / temporary spare tyre into the trunk.

Yes, the BMW logo demands the premium for the compressor & sealant , both of which can otherwise be had for under $40.

The sealant is a basically foam in a can, which you press into the punctured tyre. This foam then hardens and seals the hole / rupture.

The foam was thought to damage certain older tyre pressure sensors, but I think the BERU ones that BMW wheels have are safe.

[ajmat]

I bought a compressor in the US for $25 in Target

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by aah78

Good thing to switch over to regular tyres once your RFT's wear out. You can probably switch over to bigger wheels, and have it easier on your back too. Also maybe shove in a compact / temporary spare tyre into the trunk.

Yup, that's the plan. Not bigger wheels, but even normal tubeless 205 / 55's will be comfortable enough for me.

...both of which can otherwise be had for under $40.

The sealant is a basically foam in a can, which you press into the punctured tyre. This foam then hardens and seals the hole / rupture.

So then that's what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?

@ Ajmat - Yup, I can see $20-50 compressors everywhere. Think that's the best option.

[KALINGA]

What accessories I can get for Ertiga from USA?
I am considering the accessories which do not deal / cut with the electrical system of the car. But can consider plug & Play (removable before going to A*S*S) stuff. The budget is not high, upto 100 / 200 $ or less.
Any suggestion ?